Albaric mounted the stairs so rapidly he could barely see what was in front of him. Before he knew it, he reached the top. The sun was strong. It hit him in the eyes as he emerged.
Albaric inhaled deeply. What a fool he had been? All these years, he had secretly believed that a time would come when things would go back to how they were. What greater sadness is there than to find that such a time could never return.
Maybe it was his fault for letting it get so bad. Albaric was the elder of the two. He could have tried harder to offer guidance when he saw Michael going down the wrong path. But the truth was, he didn't.
When they first met, Albaric had noticed Michael from the group. It was his job to notice, to spot potential in new recruits. He had noticed Michael was sharp and industrious from the beginning. It wasn't till later that he started to realise the other aspects of Michael's personality.
He also was inflexible and self-centred. But didn't everyone have some bad parts? In those days, Michael was still honest. It wasn't till Clover came into the picture that things started to change. They were all young then. Demons and war seemed like make-believe.
How quickly it had all changed. Before Albaric knew it, it was too late. Michael became withdrawn, secretive and the growing resent only spiralled. Initially, Albaric had hoped the change wouldn't be permanent. In reality, it was the war that brought them closer, but it brought out the worst in both of them.
In a way, Michael's change had given him some comfort. Albaric knew himself that he wasn't the same person he used to be either. If Michael had stayed the same, it wouldn't have been fair. Not after everything that had happened.
Now he regretted his complacency. It wasn't true. He wasn't using Ace or Rena as a substitute for Lucy. The very insinuation of it, made his blood boil. It was another sorry excuse to manipulate him. He could see through it this time.
It was designed to make him doubt himself, and in turn to doubt Rena. If Micahel hadn't been so blinded by his own ambition, he might have realised that Rena was good for the Empire. She had the strength of character to emerge from the wars with the compassion and resolve that they both had lacked.
Albaric's anger was alleviated when he laid eyes on her. He had ended up back in the tower without really meaning to. However, as he entered the office, he was glad to be there.
"Leave us," Rena instructed to the other sisters in the room.
Rena was sitting behind the desk. As Albaric sat across from her, his eyes fell on the neat stack of documents. Even her handwriting carried such a graceful and precise air. Rena's clear blue eyes came up to meet them.
"Did you speak with the wizard?" She asked when they were alone.
Albaric nodded slowly, "Rena you don't need to feel pity for him. He brought this on himself..." he started.
"I do not feel pity for the wizard," Rena answered without hesitation.
"I thought perhaps you called me back here because he had pressured you into it," Albaric continued.
Rena gave a small smile, "No. I know you still think of me as you did when we were young, but I am not so easily influenced,"
"That's not what I meant," Albaric flustered, "I just meant that he manipulates people and tells lies so..."
"What did he tell you?" Rena interceded.
Albaric's brow furrowed, "You don't have to worry about it, Rena. I don't believe anything he said,"
"Albaric," Rena said softly.
"Something about magic," Albaric exhaled, "something like we would be ripping the magic of this world away,"
"Interesting," Rena said gravely, "that's not what he told me. He said we would be destroying the human world, but you're certain he said we would be ripping the magic away?"
"I mean what does it matter? It's not like we're going to destroy the demon world anyway," Albaric laughed.
Rena watched him with unflinching eyes. Albaric stopped laughing.
"What if it were partly true?" Rena questioned.
Albaric blinked rapidly for a moment. He pulled back as far as the chair would allow him and watched Rena for a moment. She was waiting with an anticipating stare.
"What are you trying to say?" Albaric asked in a low voice.
"I'm asking you," Rena tapped the desk quietly. "What would you do if it were true?"
Albaric's hand came over his mouth. His light grey eyes seemed to glaze over.
"Are you telling me that you...you're planning on destroying the demon world?" he asked at length.
"Would it be such a bad thing?" Rena's eyes didn't waver.
"You lied to me," Albaric turned his face from her.
"It was the Emperor's orders," Rena inhaled deeply.
"The Emperor told you to lie to me..." Albaric swallowed, "why?"
"He believes that you can't be impartial on the matter," Rena answered flatly.
"And he can?" Albaric scoffed but there was no laughter in his eyes. There was a protracted silence. Finally, Albaric's eyes fell sharply on Rena.
"Why did you tell me this? Wouldn't it have been better if I didn't find out?"
"Albaric," Rena paused. She reached across the desk and took his hand. Albaric let her take it but his expression didn't change. He looked as though he might revoke his hand at any second.
"Do you remember what I said to you before I left the capital?" Rena asked.
Albaric's eyes widened then contracted. His jaw clenched.
"You said that until I let go of my pain, there wouldn't be any room for love," he said rigidly.
"And you said?" Rena encouraged.
"I said that," Albaric hesitated, "...I said not to wait for me anymore because I could never let go it,"
"I thought you were selfish then," Rena confessed, "I thought you were taking the cowards way out,"
"What does this have to do with..." Albaric shook his head.
"Everything," Rena breathed, "Don't you see? I was wrong. Pain isn't something that can just go away. It fills up the space where light should be. Pain only creates more pain. It's an endless cycle that must be broken. I thought about it for many years. What should I do with all this...all this pain inside? I pray to the gods and they give me relief but in the end, it just comes back. And it's not just me. There is so much suffering in the world and everyone is just wading through as best they can. But what if there was a way to change that? A way to break the cycle?"
Albaric didn't answer. His eyes slowly drifted down and his expression became blank.
"We have the opportunity to change the world," Rena went on, "We can remove some of that sadness and make way for something new. The demon world is a place that only causes suffering. It is suffering incarnate,"
"And if it destroys this world in the process?" Albaric answered wide-eyed and baffled.
"No!" Rena pulled him back, "That's not going to happen. I've been over this spell. It's not possible. The wizards just using that to gain leverage. I believe what he told you is more accurate. The worst-case scenario, this world might lose its magic but wouldn't it still be worth it?"
"Rena," Albaric said in a low voice, "Do you think that someone like you or I would be anyone in this world without our magic? I'd just be a farm boy and you would still be on the streets. Without magic, there is class. There is money. There is still prejudice."
"Those are things we can change!" Rena enthused, "Why do I need to be the head sister? Or you the sword saint? Can't we just be Albaric and Rena? Can't we just be who we are?"
Finally, Albaric's eyes came up, "I'm sorry that I didn't see how you were suffering until now, but my magic is a part of who I am. That isn't going to change,"
"Is the demon world a part of who you are?" Rena countered, "You know as well as I do. This Empire was built through demonic deals, dark magic and who knows what else. The peace we have now is an illusion. Someone else will come along desperate for power and this will all start again! How many more have to die when we have the power to end it?"
"Even if we had that power, which we don't have anymore, can you say with certainty that this is the best course of action? The demons are wicked but their only sin is being born in the demon world. You would kill them so that we could have a better life?" Albaric asked flat out.
"There are some things that we can change and some things that we cannot. I cannot make it so that the demon world never existed. All I can do is free them from their present suffering," Rena rejoined.
"What you're talking about is not something we can decide," Albaric said coldly, "We're not gods. Who are we to decide their faith?"
"Haven't we made the same decision in every war we fought against them?" Rena argued.
"This is different," Albaric retracted his hand. "This isn't war. This is a genocide,"
"It is a mercy-killing," Rena said flatly.
"I need to talk to the Emperor," Albaric said wearily.
"Do as you wish," Rena conceded, "but I want you to ask yourself this: what would Lucy have wanted? She was someone who could show love even to the demons, and they took her life. She fought for this Empire even though it pained her because she knew. This is the only way they can be saved. It's the only way any of us can be saved,"